{"id":36248,"date":"2023-08-11T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/?p=36248"},"modified":"2023-08-13T22:36:18","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T03:36:18","slug":"a-look-at-the-future-of-fine-robusta-through-vietnamese-specialty-coffee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/a-look-at-the-future-of-fine-robusta-through-vietnamese-specialty-coffee\/","title":{"rendered":"A Look at the Future of Fine Robusta Through Vietnamese Specialty Coffee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Robusta seems to be enjoying its moment in the sun. This year, World Coffee Research (WCR) published its&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/varieties.worldcoffeeresearch.org\/about-the-catalog\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">catalog of Robusta varieties<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/worldcoffeeresearch.org\/resources\/the-future-of-robusta-quality\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a report on the future of Robusta quality<\/a>. \u201cThe market for robusta (coffee of the&nbsp;<em>C. canephora<\/em>&nbsp;species) has seen astonishing growth in the last few decades\u2014rising from 25% to 40% in the last 30 years,\u201d the WCR report reads. \u201cThis growth represents a major share of all global coffee demand growth. Demand is not expected to slow down\u2014the coffee markets with the highest growth rates and youngest populations are all markets that currently consume primarily robustas.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, US coffee drinkers are becoming more aware of higher quality Robustas thanks to Vietnamese-owned roasteries like&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nguyencoffeesupply.com\/pages\/about-us\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nguyen Coffee Supply<\/a>,&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vietfive.com\/about-3\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Viet Five<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.portlandcaphe.com\/our-story\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Portland C\u00e0 Ph\u00ea Roasters<\/a>, all of which sell Vietnamese-grown Robusta beans. On the other side of the Pacific, Vietnam, where Robusta grows in abundance, hosts a booming and vibrant specialty coffee scene fueling quality improvements in Robusta farming.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But this upturn for Robusta comes after years of unpopularity and disdain. The specialty coffee sector turned its nose up at Robusta due to its poor reputation as a cheap commodity coffee often used as a component in large, instant coffee brands. The review website&nbsp;<em>Coffee Review<\/em>&nbsp;pulls no punches in&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coffeereview.com\/review\/classic-roast-instant-coffee\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">assessing an instant coffee blend from Folgers<\/a>, for instance, as an \u201canthology of coffee taints\u201d due to an aroma \u201cdominated by a rotten dried-in-the-fruit Robusta note.\u201d What\u2019s taking place in the Vietnamese specialty scene, however, is removed from perceptions of commodity Robusta. Besides improving farming and processing practices, farmers and researchers are also experimenting with new cultivars that make a case for reconsidering Robusta .&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Espouse Modernity, Embrace Tradition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At a glance, focusing on Robusta coffee through the lens of Vietnam makes sense. \u201cIf anyone knows how best to reinvent robusta,\u201d writes Alina Simone in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/science\/archive\/2022\/11\/vietnam-robusta-coffee-revolution-climate-change\/672079\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Atlantic<\/em><\/a>,<em>&nbsp;<\/em>\u201cit would be the coffee farmers, roasters, and brewers who have provided the world with the bulk of it for decades, and whose domestic customers have never stopped enjoying it.\u201d Thanks to the 1987&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalasia.org\/v4no3\/cover\/doi-moi-and-the-remaking-of-vietnam_hong-anh-tuan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u0110\u1ed5i M\u1edbi reforms and transition<\/a>&nbsp;to a socialist-oriented market economy, the country has become the world\u2019s second-largest coffee producer and exporter. Robusta comprises more than 95% of its output, a fact not lost on many Vietnamese coffee professionals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/96B-front-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/96B-front-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/96B-front-400x500.jpg 400w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/96B-front-768x960.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Another reason Robusta is central to Vietnam\u2019s coffee culture is its key role as an ingredient in many traditional coffee drinks such as&nbsp;<em>c\u00e0-ph\u00ea s\u1eefa&nbsp;<\/em>(black coffee with condensed milk),&nbsp;<em>c\u00e0-ph\u00ea tr\u1ee9ng<\/em>&nbsp;(egg coffee), and&nbsp;<em>c\u00e0-ph\u00ea d\u1eeba<\/em>&nbsp;(coconut coffee)\u2014these drinks simply aren\u2019t the same without Robusta as its base. In her 2022&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baristamagazine.com\/the-evolving-tastes-of-vietnamese-coffee-part-two\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">survey of Vietnamese specialty coffee<\/a>, journalist Molly Headley notes that newer specialty cafes heartily embrace existing local coffee traditions instead of eschewing them in favor of espresso drinks: \u201cMany specialty caf\u00e9s in Saigon feature traditional Vietnamese coffee beverages on their menu upgraded with top-quality beans\u2026\u201d Headley observes. \u201cIn other words, it\u2019s not about erasing Vietnam\u2019s coffee culture[.]\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>General coffee drinkers in Vietnam enjoy dark roast Robustas since they pair wonderfully with condensed milk, which is used in many traditional Vietnamese coffee drinks. The custom began when\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forevervacation.com\/the-vacationer\/why-the-vietnamese-like-their-coffee-so-much\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">French colonizers in the late nineteenth century used condensed milk in their coffee in lieu of fresh milk<\/a>\u00a0due to the lack of refrigeration. \u201cCondensed milk, which is sweet and dense, became prominent in Vietnamese coffee culture because it doesn\u2019t need to be refrigerated,\u201d explains Sahra Nguyen from Nguyen Coffee Supply in an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tastecooking.com\/youve-probably-drunk-vietnamese-coffee-without-ever-knowing-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">interview<\/a>\u00a0with the culinary website\u00a0<em>Taste<\/em>. \u201cCoupled with the fact that Vietnamese coffee is primarily robusta&#8230;those flavors meld together. Sometimes when you add dairy milk, or sugar, or condensed milk to a citrusy, fruit-forward arabica, it doesn\u2019t vibe and can be kind of sour.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saigon-based&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.96b.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">96B Roastery<\/a>&nbsp;owner Hana Choi opened her specialty cafe and roastery very much with local preferences for dark-roast Robustas in mind. \u201cI want local Vietnamese people to come, taste my coffee and find it agreeable first before I introduce light roast, more acidic coffees to them,\u201d she explains via email.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-1-96B-ROASTERY-OWNER-HANA-CHOI-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-1-96B-ROASTERY-OWNER-HANA-CHOI-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-1-96B-ROASTERY-OWNER-HANA-CHOI-375x500.jpg 375w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-1-96B-ROASTERY-OWNER-HANA-CHOI-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-1-96B-ROASTERY-OWNER-HANA-CHOI-400x533.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hana Choi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI myself would only drink filter black coffee, no sugar, no milk. But the local people here are acquainted with the taste of Robusta that is dark, strong, syrupy, caramel, nutty, and bittersweet. I grew up tasting and experiencing \u2018<em>c\u00e0 ph\u00ea s\u1eefa d\u00e1<\/em>\u2019 [iced coffee with condensed milk] in many different forms, so I knew the coffee flavors that ran in the blood of traditional Vietnamese coffee drinkers.\u201d Choi bridges the gap between traditional and modern at her cafe, including having a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.96b.co\/product-page\/96b-phin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">phin<\/a>, a traditional brewing device used in Vietnam, next to a V60 and Chemex in 96B\u2019s instructional&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.96b.co\/workshops\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hand brewing workshop<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Duc Le, the roaster and owner of&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lejcafe\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cafe Le J\u2019<\/a>&nbsp;in Dalat, argues that Vietnamese coffee drinks rely precisely<em>&nbsp;<\/em>on Robusta\u2019s bold profile. \u201cIt cannot be replaced by any other coffee variety due to its distinct flavors and intriguing stories,\u201d he says. \u201cMany popular coffee-based drinks in Vietnam\u2026rely on the robust flavor profile of Robusta.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Le does not believe that Robusta is inherently inferior to Arabica because the former\u2019s \u201cunique qualities, including low acidity or no acidity, a rich body, and bold notes of nuts and chocolate, cannot be matched even by dark roasted Arabica.\u201d Robusta\u2019s classic cup allows it to stand up against the other components in these traditional beverages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reinventing Robusta Through Newer Cultivars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Roasters like Choi and Le are also paying close attention to newer Robusta cultivars from Vietnam. Many reports, hopeful about the future of Robusta, point to its&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligence.coffee\/2023\/04\/robusta-cannot-save-future-coffee\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">resilience against pests<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tryperdiem.com\/post\/changing-of-the-bean-will-robusta-oust-arabica\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">heartiness in the face of climate change compared to Arabica<\/a>. Newer cultivar breeding, however, shows increasing interest in taste and cup quality. Without rejecting the traditional Robusta profile, these roasters began featuring new Robusta varieties and experimental processes in their cafes that show a sweeter and more dynamic cup.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The newer cultivars, for Le, occupy a category distinct from the traditional ones: \u201c[To] truly appreciate fine Robusta at its best, one must understand what sets it apart from regular (commercial) Robusta and recognize some of its distinctive flavors.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditional Robusta varieties\u2014Robusta&nbsp;<em>s\u1ebb<\/em>\u2014\u201care typically very small and dense (measured by&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.coffeeresearch.org\/coffee\/screen.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">screens that filter out beans based on size<\/a>: for traditional varieties, they often below screen size 15) with a medium to heavy body,\u201d says Le. \u201cThey exhibit subtle flavors of dry tropical fruits, occasional hints of red florals, chocolate, caramel, roasted nuts, and low acidity, resembling the acidity of a red apple (malic acid). The aftertaste carries a sweetness reminiscent of honey or sugarcane.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-3-CAFE-LE-J-EXTERIOR-1024x681.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-3-CAFE-LE-J-EXTERIOR-1024x681.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-3-CAFE-LE-J-EXTERIOR-500x333.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-3-CAFE-LE-J-EXTERIOR-768x511.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-3-CAFE-LE-J-EXTERIOR-400x266.jpeg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cafe Le J&#8217;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast, new Robusta varieties\u2014typically labeled numerically, i.e., TR4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15\u2014\u201care larger in size (usually between size 16-20) and have a lighter body,\u201d says Le. \u201cTheir flavor profile includes notes of dry fruits such as tropical fruits and apples, delicate floral hints, chocolate, tea-like qualities, roasted nuts, and slightly higher acidity reminiscent of citrus.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It seems no accident that part of what is driving researchers to breed newer Robusta cultivars is the prevailing specialty preference for brighter, more delicate cup profiles. Now we are seeing more and more Robusta lots that truly stand on their own. \u201cThere are already some Robustas that are very pleasant in terms of flavor and tasting notes as well as the balance between attributes,\u201d says Rae Tu Tran, co-founder of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/karmiccirclecoffeetrading.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Karmic Circle Trading Company<\/a>. \u201cIf I can enjoy a Robusta with a pour over, without milk and sugar, it is a pass in my book for determining whether it is specialty.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>96B has been incorporating Robusta into its espresso blends since opening in 2016. But it wasn\u2019t until 2021 that Choi began releasing Robusta lots as single-origin offerings: \u201cAt the time, I did a test roast and cupped the&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/caphedacsanvietnam.vn\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vietnam Amazing Cup<\/a>&nbsp;Winner Robusta lot from [<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/e.vnexpress.net\/news\/news\/environment\/vietnam-s-robusta-the-go-to-coffee-bean-in-a-warmer-world-4586856.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ms. Tran Thi Bich Ngoc of Mori Farm<\/a>], I had a hunch that now is the right time to showcase Robusta flavor,\u201d she says.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The coffee had \u201cunique characteristics of roasted coconut, caramel candy, winey and creamy mouthfeel, totally different from the flavor profile you would commonly come across in Arabicas,\u201d Choi describes. \u201dI want to present it to my customers who mostly drink only Arabica coffees.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-4-KARMIC-CIRCLE-RAE-TU-TRAN-FARMER-MR.-TOI-NGUYEN-576x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-4-KARMIC-CIRCLE-RAE-TU-TRAN-FARMER-MR.-TOI-NGUYEN-576x1024.jpeg 576w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-4-KARMIC-CIRCLE-RAE-TU-TRAN-FARMER-MR.-TOI-NGUYEN-281x500.jpeg 281w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-4-KARMIC-CIRCLE-RAE-TU-TRAN-FARMER-MR.-TOI-NGUYEN-768x1365.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-4-KARMIC-CIRCLE-RAE-TU-TRAN-FARMER-MR.-TOI-NGUYEN-864x1536.jpeg 864w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-4-KARMIC-CIRCLE-RAE-TU-TRAN-FARMER-MR.-TOI-NGUYEN-1152x2048.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-4-KARMIC-CIRCLE-RAE-TU-TRAN-FARMER-MR.-TOI-NGUYEN-400x711.jpeg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Karmic Circle Trading Owner Rae Tu Tran &amp; Mr. Toi Nguyen of Future Farm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Quality improvement in Robustas may be fueled by standards and competitions like the Cup of Excellence that have been used to evaluate Arabica beans. But what Choi found compelling in that coffee was that it demonstrated Robusta\u2019s potential to possess its own identity in quality and cup profile. Choi wanted to offer Ms. Ngoc\u2019s lot as a single-origin release because it tasted&nbsp;<em>unlike<\/em>&nbsp;Arabica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quality or Marketing First?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A 2019 Perfect Daily Grind article by Francesco Impallomeni asks, \u201c<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/perfectdailygrind.com\/2019\/10\/can-fine-robusta-be-considered-quality-coffee\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Can Fine Robusta be Considered Quality Coffee?<\/a>\u201d My quick answer, based on the experiences of coffee professionals like Choi and Le, is yes. But the larger issue, as Impallomeni indicates in the article, lies in how to sell it. To sell fine Robusta, quality improvement alone is not enough.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the quality and distinctness of Robusta lots like Ms. Ngoc&#8217;s, there\u2019s still a substantial reluctance among specialty coffee drinkers to embrace Robustas. The problem with Robusta\u2019s perception, though, is deep down a problem of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/perfectdailygrind.com\/2017\/12\/specialty-vs-commodity-how-yield-quality-prices-interact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">commodification<\/a>. To be fair, the same issues associated with\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cheapcoffeebook.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cheap coffee<\/a>\u00a0plague many of the world\u2019s Arabicas. As\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/coffeelands.crs.org\/2013\/12\/37-mythbusting-robusta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Coffee Review\u00a0<\/em>founder Ken Davids contends<\/a>, \u201cRobustas are cheap and poorly prepared because they are expected to be cheap and poorly prepared.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Quality Robustas challenge us to consider embracing the species not just in terms of sustainability, but taste. For some, this can make fine Robusta a perplexing category. Its flavor potential distances it from faulty commercial Robustas, but neither does it merely ape the delicate notes we prize in the best of specialty Arabicas. Saigon-based&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/bel.coffee\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bel Coffee<\/a>&nbsp;owner Will Frith, as quoted in Simone\u2019s<em>&nbsp;Atlantic&nbsp;<\/em>article, captures the confusion well: \u201cWhere do you put this thing that\u2019s always been automatically perceived as low-quality when you\u2019re trying to create the high-quality version?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-5-96B-MORI-FARM-RELEASE-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-5-96B-MORI-FARM-RELEASE-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-5-96B-MORI-FARM-RELEASE-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-5-96B-MORI-FARM-RELEASE-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-5-96B-MORI-FARM-RELEASE-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-5-96B-MORI-FARM-RELEASE-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/freshcup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMAGE-5-96B-MORI-FARM-RELEASE-600x600.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Professional coffee actors are hardly neutral when it comes to marketing quality in coffee. Anthropologist Edward Fischer, who\u2019s worked closely with&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ucpress.edu\/book\/9780520386969\/making-better-coffee\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mayan coffee farmers in Guatemala,<\/a>&nbsp;contends that quality is ultimately not discovered but rather defined. The paradox of Third Wave coffee is that in its pursuit of quality, \u201cthese same coffee professionals and enthusiasts are also defining what constitutes quality.\u201d Even with quality improvements in Robusta, coffee actors like importers and roasters wield immense power as tastemakers in determining and curating quality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Specialty cafes and roasteries can change the narrative around Robustas and create market demand for them. By sourcing and selling fine Robustas, roasteries and cafes can diversify their offerings and sell coffees with a broader range of flavors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Agro-commodities researcher Mamy Dioubat\u00e9 deftly sums up the issue in Impallomeni\u2019s article: \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s a zero-sum game where the emergence of Robusta on the specialty coffee market takes away from Arabica market. We should work on coffee quality and diversity. We need to diversify. We need to think about all those people we don\u2019t reach with our current specialty coffee product instead of being worried about the cake getting sliced up into smaller pieces. Let\u2019s make a bigger cake.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As roasteries like 96B and Le J\u2019 show, Vietnamese specialty coffee provides a model of how to integrate Robustas into a specialty cafe menu. At once juggling tradition and innovation in a region where Robusta farming is ubiquitous, the scene reveals what a gradually maturing fine Robusta landscape can look like. One that not just produces a clean cup by stamping out farming and processing defects but also gives us new flavors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou ask for a clean cup because today you can\u2019t ask for anything more,\u201d echoes one respondent in WCR\u2019s report. \u201cBut if you have a chance to get robusta with other characteristics, what else do you want? If we limit our thinking to the present, we have no chance to do something new. If we find a new flavor profile, maybe there is a new opening in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Cover photo courtesy of Cafe Le J\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For years, Robusta has gotten a bad rep, but people are beginning to reconsider its potential. Vietnam may already have the blueprint for the future of Robusta. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1668,"featured_media":36251,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}},"beyondwords_generate_audio":"","beyondwords_project_id":"","beyondwords_content_id":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"categories":[14269],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.12 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Look at the Future of Fine Robusta Through Vietnamese Specialty Coffee<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For years, Robusta has gotten a bad rep, but people are beginning to reconsider its potential. Vietnam may already have the blueprint for the future of Robusta.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/a-look-at-the-future-of-fine-robusta-through-vietnamese-specialty-coffee\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Look at the Future of Fine Robusta Through Vietnamese Specialty Coffee\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For years, Robusta has gotten a bad rep, but people are beginning to reconsider its potential. 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